DAYTON, Wyo. – Fire crews have established containment on 10% of the Elk Fire burning in the Bighorn National Forest even as the wildfire reportedly grew to nearly 73,000 acres.

In an update Monday morning, fire officials said the wildfire has been mapped at 72,998 acres. A total of 680 personnel are currently assigned to fight the fire, which was first reported on Sept. 27.

Two homes have been lost to the flames, and evacuation orders remain in place for many areas affected by the fire.

Also on Monday the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office announced some cabin owners in the area of Red Grade Road would be allowed into the closed area to retrieve items.

Here is the full Monday update:

Key Messages: The fire is now 10% contained. The added containment is along the northeast edge of the fire, to the north of Dayton. Efforts on the southern end of the fire are focused on taking actions to get ahead of fire movement and protect communities, as well as municipal watersheds in the Big Goose drainage, that are potentially threatened by the fire. Crews will be working using a variety of tools, such as structure protection and fireline construction, to prepare for future potential fire movement.

Current Situation: Smoke is settling over the Elk Fire area from fires further to the west. This is expected to continue and is likely to keep fire activity lower today. This smoke may also impact air operations as helicopters need a minimum of one mile visibility to operate safely on wildland fires.

Structure protection work will continue northwest of the fire in Little Horn Canyon and subdivisions along US HWY 14 between Dayton and Burgess Junction. They will be patrolling and mopping up any heat sources around structures. Structure protection is accomplished through a variety of methods such as removal of vegetation near structures, construction of fireline, and placement of hose and sprinklers where possible. On the eastern side of the fire, firefighters will continue to extinguish areas of heat along established firelines. Crews will also continue to patrol the area that is now contained.

South of the fire, crews are implementing strategies intended to protect homes, communities, the Sheridan watershed, and key infrastructure. The work includes developing new fireline on Red Grade Road near Bighorn, using heavy equipment and several fire crews. Structure protection tactics have been utilized to prepare the Big Goose Water Treatment facility for any fire that may move into the area. Efforts continue to minimize fire effects to the Big Goose Creek watershed, which feeds the water treatment facility.

Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The tactics used to suppress the fire will be determined by the terrain, fire and weather conditions, and medical response time with a focus on implementing plans and tactics that have a high probability of success.

Approximately 700 cattle were transported off the fire area this morning. This was possible through the collaborative efforts of this community and agencies supporting the fire.

Closures and Evacuations: The newest evacuation map can be found at the Sheridan County Emergency Management website, Sheridan County (sheridancountywy.gov). US Highway 14 remains closed from Dayton to Burgess Junction. See todays new release regarding temporary access to Red Grade Road for cabin owners. Please contact the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office at 307-672-3455 or Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174 for more information on evacuations and road closures.

The Bighorn National Forest Closure has been expanded to include the closure of Red Grade Road. Please view the updated order on the Bighorn National Forest website, Bighorn National Forest – Alerts & Closures (usda.gov).

Weather & Smoke Information: Today will continue to bring warm and dry conditions to the fire area as a high pressure system moves into the area. Winds are expected to be light and terrain-driven over the course of the day. Smoke from fires further to the west may cause smoke shading and keep temperatures lower than the forecasted highs ranging in the mid 60s to low 70s.

It is anticipated that the Elk Fire will continue to put up a smoke column; please go to the AirNow website (https://www.airnow.gov/) for smoke information.

RELATE Q2 COVERAGE

Smoke settles into Sheridan County as Elk Fire continues to grow

2 homes destroyed in Elk fire in northern Wyoming

Dayton residents prepare for evacuation as Elk fire grows

Fire crews on Elk Fire in Wyoming brace for strong winds

‘Families in crisis’: Dayton remains on edge as Elk Fire burns in Wyoming

Elk Fire in Wyoming reported at nearly 50,000 acres

New evacuations ordered at Elk Fire in Wyoming

Elk Fire at 32,000 acres, Dayton, Wyoming residents remain cautious

Elk Fire in Wyoming estimated at more than 25,000 acres

‘Here to help’: Parkman Bar and Grill gathers donations to help those fighting Elk Fire

Elk Fire in Wyoming grows, evacuations ordered

New wildfire reported west of Ranchester in northern Wyoming

Search and rescue personnel from Wyoming’s Teton Range used their specialized helicopter to pick a deceased trail runner’s body off a Front Range mountain Thursday. 

The 31-year-old Boulder man’s body had remained on the steep, loose western face of Arikaree Peak since Aug. 28. 

Colorado rescue teams made two attempts at recovering the man’s body in the days following his fall, but called off the effort due to extreme safety risks to their own personnel. 

RELATED  Colorado hiker’s body deemed “too dangerous” to recover

Those Colorado teams contacted Teton County Search and Rescue early last week. A Teton crew joined a pair of Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers from Grand Teton National Park and flew in TCSAR’s Airbus A-Star helicopter to Granby on Wednesday. 

Thursday, with guidance from the Grand County Search and Rescue, the copter lowered crew members onto the mountain with a longer cable.

“They are able to deploy up to 450 feet of line below their helicopter and safely transport live loads,” Grand County Search and Rescue Field Director Greg Foley told CBS News Colorado. “The line length for this recovery was 250 feet.”

Foley explained that 250 feet was the maximum amount of cable on the U.S. military’s Blackhawk helicopter which attempted to place rescuers on the mountainside in earlier attempts. High winds complicated the mission that day. The A-Star’s narrower rotor radius also allowed it to safely move closer to the mountain.  

Foley added that 250 feet is “standard configuration for hoist rescues in Colorado.”

RELATED  Colorado search and rescue task force travels from Florida to North Carolina

“This was a unique rescue for us for many reasons,” said TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart in a social media post. “This was the first time we have been called down to Colorado and there were a lot of individuals and agencies involved in the rescue effort. This was also a tough rescue for us to assist with, from both a technical level and the heavy nature of the job. We are grateful that we were able to help get this man off the mountain and home to his family.”  

“TCSAR’s ability to insert rescuers by longline was key to making this recovery safe and quick for rescuers,” added Dale Atkins of Alpine Rescue Team, another team involved in the initial attempts to retrieve the body. “Ironically, this technique was something that some Colorado SAR teams did way back in the 1980s, but by the 1990s an increase in regulations and changes in attitudes lead to the practice going away. When it went away, our search and rescue tool box got smaller. For this recovery on Arikaree Peak, it was terrific that Grand County could bring in the TSCAR and Grand Teton NP crews to assist and get this man off the mountain.”

DAYTON, Wyoming — On Sunday, Sheridan County was covered in a thick layer of smoke as the Elk Fire continues to grow to nearly 73,000 acres and is 0% contained.

But most of the smoke isn’t from the Elk Fire, it’s coming from Idaho and could help firefighters efforts.

“That is actually coming from fires further to the west than the Elk Fire. We expect that if this smoke stays in the area, it will actually dampen fire activity, which is really good and allows our crews to get some work done around structures and in other areas of the fire,” said Kristie Thompson, the Public Information Officer for the Elk Fire. “It’s going to continue (to be) a dry, hot, warm trend with relatively low humidity and no precipitation in the near term future.”

Thompson said it is a tough fire to battle.

“We’re going to be living with this fire for a while. There’s a very good chance that you will see smoke, perhaps even if it kind of calms down activity-wise, that you will see smoke until we have a good cover of snow up on the mountain,” Thompson said.

As of Sunday afternoon, Dayton residents were still on a “Set” status. So, they don’t need to evacuate, but do need to be prepared.

“Dayton is currently still in a ‘set’ status, so it’s one above ‘ready’,” Dayton County Sheriff Levi Dominguez said. “It’s certainly fluid, dynamic in what we’re doing with the evacuation statuses within the communities here in the town of Dayton and the rest of the communities surrounding it.”

As a crew of nearly 600 are tirelessly fighting the flames, other volunteers and community members are coming together to help ranchers save their livelihoods. Sunday morning, a line of large livestock semi-trailer trucks went to help get grazing cattle down from the mountain.

“This is obviously something huge that’s happened into our community and the outpouring support that neighbors have been showing neighbors has been greatly appreciated,” Dominguez said.

Mayor of Dayton, Clifford Reed, grew up in the area and said he is devastated from the loss this fire brings.

“It breaks my heart to see this,” Reed said. “It has impacted us greatly as a community, not only the town of Dayton, but there’s homes that are up against the face of the mountain.”

According to Reed, the fire came close to the water plant for the town.

“Our water plant is literally along the river up in the mouth of the Tonga River Canyon. And that fire came down within a few hundred yards of that facility. And of course, we were worried about evacuating,” Reed said.

Two homes have been lost in the Elk Fire.

“I personally can’t imagine coming back to see your houses, a pile of nails and ashes. I mean, it would literally be heartbreaking, disheartening and wondering what are you going to do now?” Reed said. “I thank them (firefighters) for their willingness to give to this community and and put their lives in danger many times.”